J Jayalalithaa

From the Delhi Press archives: a young J Jayalalithaa wearing an MGR campaign pin. Her association with MG Ramachandran began when he took notice of the young actress when they worked together on Aayirathil Oruvan in 1962. In 1972, MGR floated the AIADMK party, and he became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977. He brought Jayalalithaa in as a member in 1982 and made her propaganda secretary in 1983, believing that she had the charisma and oratory skills to compete with M Karunanidhi of the DMK. When MGR passed away in 1987, the AIADMK split into two factions, one supporting MGR’s widow Janaki Ramachandran and the other supporting Jayalalithaa as his successor. Janaki became the Tamil Nadu chief minister in 1987, but was dismissed by the Rajiv Gandhi government. Jayalalithaa won the next election in 1989, and has remained the head of the AIADMK ever since.

In our election special, Vaasanthi examines Jayalalithaa’s national stratagems and ambitions: http://caravanmagazine.in/perspectives/madras-check